Toward sustainable energy resource: Integrated concentrated photovoltaic and membrane distillation systems for fresh water and electricity production

This study introduces and evaluates a novel Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV)-assisted Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD) system, examining its efficiency and energy output under varying operational conditions. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model, validated with experimental data, assesses the system's performance at different concentration ratios ranging from 1x to 10x and 25x to 100x, flow patterns (counterflow and parallel flow) at different Reynolds numbers (30–1200). This study investigates the seasonal performance of the CPV-DCMD system, providing valuable insights into its reliability and sustainability throughout the year. Results show increased mass flux and electric power with higher concentration ratios, especially at lower Reynolds numbers. In the counter-flow arrangement, the mass flux increases notably under specific conditions, while seasonal analysis reveals peak flux during summer and autumn afternoons. Electric power output follows a consistent trend across seasons, with high output observed during noon hours. The study demonstrates the system's energy efficiency, with notable energy gain compared to consumption across diverse operational conditions. Overall, the findings provide insights into optimizing the performance of CPV-assisted DCMD systems for sustainable energy generation and water desalination applications. • Introduction of a new design, unifying CPV and DCMD units into a single module. • CFD model analyzing parametric and seasonal performance of a CPV-assisted DCMD system. • Higher flux is gained with low flow/high CR due to solar heat absorption; high power gained at high flow. • In counter-flow, mass flux rises by 29 % at Re-60 and CR-10x due to high local delta T variations. • CPV-assisted DCMD system exhibits notably high energy gain versus consumption in all conditions.